March 26, 1999GOVERNOR ANNOUNCES $118 MILLION SPRING ROAD REPAIR PROGRAM
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today announced a $118 million spring construction program to repair road damage caused by winter weather across the state, including $14 million to resurface the Dan Ryan Expressway in Chicago

March 25, 1999GOVERNOR'S OPEN LAND TRUST PROPOSAL APPROVED BY SENATE
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan's "Open Land Trust" initiative to acquire and protect open space for future generations was approved today without objection by the Illinois Senate and now moves on for consideration by the House of Representatives.

March 23, 1999GOVERNOR'S "CAP" PROPOSAL APPROVED BY THE SENATE
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan's "Child Access Prevention" plan to require the safe storage of firearms was approved today by the Illinois Senate on a 37-14 vote and now moves on for consideration by the House.

March 22, 1999GOVERNOR RELEASES $1.3 MILLION TO IMPROVE LOCAL TRANSIT SERVICES
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today released more than $1.3 million to communities and transit districts throughout the state for the purchase of specialized buses and vans. These paratransit vehicles are designed specifically for the elderly, people with disabilities and riders in rural areas.

March 19, 1999RYAN PARDONS ANTHONY PORTER
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced that he has granted a pardon based on innocence to Anthony Porter of Chicago, freeing him from a 1983 murder conviction that was recently vacated by the Cook County Circuit Court.

March 19, 1999RYAN ANNOUNCES MORE THAN $2,300,000 ITP GRANTS
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today announced $2.3 million in Industrial Training Program grants to help approximately 200 Illinois companies train about 600 new workers and upgrade the skills of nearly 22,000 current employees.

March 18, 1999SMALL BUSINESS OWNERS, MANUFACTURERS URGED TO ATTEND Y2K CONFERENCE
CHICAGO -- Gov. George H. Ryan today invited small business owners and manufacturers to attend a special conference on how to prepare against Year 2000 (Y2K) computer glitches. The conference will be free of charge and will include representatives from federal, state and local government, as well as business organizations.

March 17, 1999RYAN STRENGTHENS ROLE OF ALCOHOLISM & SUBSTANCE ABUSE OFFICE
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today strengthened the role of the Office of Alcoholism & Substance Abuse, the lead agency for all substance abuse services for the state of Illinois, and ordered the agency to fill any holes in community-based treatment services for young people.

March 17, 1999STATEMENT OF GOV. GEORGE H. RYAN
The revelations of these last months regarding failures within our system of justice is more than troublesome to all of us. The foundation of government is its ability to protect its citizens, enforce its laws and ensure that in the enforcement of those laws, the principles of equality and justice are scrupulously followed

March 10, 1999RYAN PROPOSES RAPID RESPONSE INFECTIOUS DISEASE TEAM
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today proposed the creation of a "rapid response" team at the state Department of Public Health to help communities and counties deal with future cases of infectious diseases.

March 9, 1999GOVERNOR SET DUTIES OF HIS INFRASTRUCTURE TASK FORCE
SPRINGFIELD -- Governor George H. Ryan today directed his new Infrastructure Task Force to assess the state's repair and modernization needs and to develop a menu of potential funding options that could be considered during the General Assembly's current session.

March 5, 1999RYAN UNVEILS ACTION PLAN TO DEAL WITH Y2K CONVERSIONS
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today strengthened his office's oversight of state government's preparations to deal with potential "Year 2000" computer problems, and unveiled an action plan that includes monthly updates from state agencies, a "watch list" for departments that are not meeting deadlines and increased public information and awareness.

March 4, 1999GOVERNOR SIGNS LEGISLATION TO RELEASE TECHNOLOGY FUNDS FOR SCHOOLS
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today signed legislation that frees up the first payments from the new School Technology Revolving Loan Program, an initiative that eventually will provide $30 million annually to help schools throughout Illinois meet their technology needs.

March 3, 1999REVISED PLAN FOR THIRD AIRPORT ALLOWS GROWTH IN AIR TRAVEL
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today submitted a revised plan to the Federal Aviation Administration for a new major airport at the Peotone site in Will County -- an airport that would have one runway and support facilities designed to grow only with the future demand for air travel

March 2, 1999STATE INITIATES "RAPID RESPONSE" TO CORNING PLANT CLOSING
SPRINGFIELD -- Gov. George H. Ryan today announced that the Department of Commerce and Community Affair's Rapid Response Unit has already begun the process of helping more than 300 workers affected by the closing of the Corning Consumer Products Company in Clinton.